As members, JetBlue pilots will now be represented by the union in negotiations involving on salary, benefits, and working conditions. The union also lobbies Congress on behalf of its members.

JetBlue pilots on average earned slightly more than some of its rival airlines, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Airline Data Project. The university's data showed a JetBlue pilot earned a total of $187,000 in salary plus benefits in 2012. A pilot at low-cost rival Southwest Airlines, which is also unionized, earns $185,000.

Still, Captains Gustavo Rivera and Rocky Durham, representing JetBlue pilots, said in a statement that the union representation will "improve our professional careers."